Transcript American Government

American Government 1.
Chapter 1 Principles of Government
• What is Government?
1.The institution which a
Society enforces its
Public Policy.
2. A system of controlling
or ruling the affairs of a
country or city.
• 3 Types of Government Power:
Legislative, Executive,
and Judicial
How Power Works
• Legislative: The Power to
make laws and frame
Public Opinion.
• Executive: The Power to
execute, enforce, and
administer law.
• Judicial: The Power to
interpret laws, to
determine their meaning
and settle disputes
Politics vs. Government
• Politics: Is the
process by which
men rule one
another.
• Government: Is the
institution that uses
ruling authority.
Government
A system of controlling or
ruling the affairs of a
country or city, etc.
4 Types:
Monarchy; rule by a
family, a King, Queen.
Parent-child
relationship.
Tyranny; rule by a
single person,
Democracy; rule by
citizens
Oligarchy; rule by
committee
Forms of Government
• While there are only 4 basic types of Government, Those types take on
many different forms.
Democracy
 Direct
 Indirect
Monarchy
Tyranny
Oligarchy
 Absolute Ruler  Autocracy
 Constitutional  Dictatorship
Unitary Government: All power is held by a central agency.
Government is divided into smaller units for the ease of the ruling
agency.
Federal government: Power is divided between a central or
National government and smaller State governments.
A Confederation: is an alliance of independent states. Usually
formed for a common good.
SYSTEMS
The State
 The State = A body of
People, living in a defined
territory, organized
politically, with the power
of Self Determination, or
the ability to make and
enforce laws.
 As a legal entity, we know
them today as Nations
(Ethnically) or Countries
(Geographically)
4 Characteristics of a State
•
Population: The people who live
within the confines of the State.
A. Homogeneous : composed of the
same kind of elements. ex. Japan
B. Heterogeneous: composed of
different elements. ex. United States.
• Territory: Land with known and
recognized boundaries.
• Sovereignty: The supreme and
absolute power within a given
territory to decide its own foreign
and domestic policy.
• Government: To organize the
institutions to Legislate, Execute,
and Judge laws.
4 Major Political Ideas
• Force = where the use of
physical force is used to cause
a people to submit.
• Evolutionary = The State
developed naturally out of the
Family.
• Divine Right = the proposition
that God created the State and
the nobility to rule.
• The Social Contract = Free
people agree to give up some
of their freedom for the stability
and safety of the State.
The Purpose of Government
• Ultimately, the
purpose of any
government is to
create a place where
people can prosper in
peace and safety.
• All of that is spelled
out in the PERAMBLE
of our U.S.
Constitution !
What does our Government do?
6 Things
• We the People of the United States, in Order to form a
more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic
Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the
general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and to our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
constitution of the United States of America.
Preamble to the Constitution
1787
Origins of the American Government
ch. 2.
• Political Beginnings.
• American
Independence.
• Articles of
Confederation.
• Creating and ratifying a
Constitution.
The Enlightenment
• Begins as an 18th century
Philosophical movement.
• The “Philosophes”, used
Scientific Reasoning to
make Government and
Society better.
• Reason, Natural Law,
Hope, and Progress were
all important ideals of the
enlightenment.
Men of The Enlightenment
René Descartes
• Considered the
“Father” of modern
Philosophy
• “I think, therefore I
am”
Thomas Hobbes
 English Philosopher
 1640’s published the Book
Leviathan ,in which he
describes a state of nature
which there was no law or
government.
 Hobbes claims life would be
“nasty, brutish and short”
 In order to escape the chaos
people enter into a
social contract with rulers.
 Once they entered the
contract, they could not
rebel.
John Locke
• Another English
Philosopher, John Locke,
agreed with Hobbes that the
purpose of government is to
establish order.
• Unlike Hobbes, John Locke
saw human nature more
optimistically, he believed
people to be more
reasonable and cooperative.
• He argued that a
government should only
stay in power only as long
as the people want them.
• If the government would not
leave, the people had the
right to rebel.
(Mr. Williams favorite Philosopher!)
John Locke
• 1690 Locke publishes his book, Two
Treaties on Government .
• Locke believed that mankind was born
with Natural Rights and those are:
• Life
• Liberty
• Property
Adam Smith
• Scottish Economist
• 1776 publishes The Wealth of
Nations
• Opposed mercantilism,
favored a Free or Open,
Market in which all goods
could be bought without
restraint. In the Open Market,
the means of production is
privately owned. Those who
own the means of production
are called Capitalist.
• In his book The Spirit of
The Baron de Montesquieu Laws, he discusses
various forms of
Government.
• He was impressed with
the type of government
developed in England.
• The English preserved
liberty by separating the
powers of government
into 3 branches:
legislative, executive,
and judicial
Voltaire
 Probably the best known
of the Philosophes.
 Voltaire came from a
middle-class French
family.
 Praised English liberties
and believed in the
Enlightened Monarch.
 Voltaire also taught that
all citizens should have
Freedom of Speech, so to
be able to speak out
against the Government.
Jean Jacques Rousseau
 Swiss philosophe from a
poor and unhappy family.
 He always felt out of place
with the intellectuals in
Paris.
 He was seen as a constant
complainer and found
himself at odds with most
other philosophes.
 He believed the nature of
man to be basically good.
 His ideal society would have
mankind form a community
and make a contract among
themselves, not with their
ruler! They would give up
some liberties in favor of the
“Will of the People.”
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
- 1776
Thomas Jefferson = main author
- Three Main Sections:
1. Unalienable Rights: life, liberty, & the pursuit of
happiness.
- Right to alter or abolish government.
2. Accuses King George III
:
- Forced housing of soldiers.
- Imposing taxes on colonists without their
approval.
- No trial by jury.
- Mercantilism.
- No representation in Parliament.
3. Declares American colonies free &
independent.
The Constitution ch. 3
• 7 Basic principles
• Amendment Procedures
Formal
Informal
Declaration
Of
Independence
U.S.
Constitution
Magna
Carta
Federalist Papers
English
Bill of Rights
The Great Compromise of 1787
Virginia Plan
(Big States)
New Jersey Plan
( Small States)
Connecticut
Compromise
Legislative Power
Derived from the people and
based on population.
Derived from the States
and based on equal votes
for each State.
Mixed, derived from the
people for one house, from
the States for the other.
Legislative Branch
Called The Congress
Bicameral, Two chambers:
Senate (upper)
House of Rep. (lower)
Unicameral, one chamber:
congress
Bicameral: one house of
equal representation, another
based on population.
Executive Branch
Undetermined size; Elected
and removed by Congress.
Takes more than one
person to be removed by
majority vote.
Single Executive” removed
by impeachment or State
Majority.
Judiciary Branch
Life tenure” able to veto
legislation in council of
revision.
No power over the States.
Life tenure, judicial review
ambiguous.
State Laws
Legislature can override.
Central government can
compel obedience to
national law.
National supremacy.
Ratification
By the People.
By the State.
Ratification conventions”
allowing participation of
both people and states.
Seven Principles of the Constitution
UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
Republicanism
Separation of
Limited Government
Powers
Popular Sovereignty
Check and Balances
Federalism
Individual Rights
1. Popular Sovereignty
- A government in
which the people
rule.
- A system where
the residents vote
to decide an issue.
2. Republicanism
- People have a voice in
government - Vote
- People exercise their power
by voting for their political
representatives.
3. Federalism
- A system of government in which power is divided between
a central government and smaller political units or STATES.
State Governments
National Government
 Coin money.
 Regulate foreign and
Interstate trade.
 Raise and maintain
Military forces.
 Declare War.
 Govern territories/
Admit new States.
 Conduct foreign
relations.
Shared Powers
Levy and collect taxes
Borrow Money
Establish courts
Define crimes and
punishments
Claim pvt. Property for
public use
Binds the
American people
Regulates Business and Trade
within the state.
Establish public Schools.
Pass license requirements
for professionals.
Regulate Alcoholic Beverages.
Conduct Elections.
Establish local Governments.
4. Separation of Powers
- Framers of the Constitution worried that too much power might fall
into the hands of a single group.
- Articles 1, 2, and 3 of the Constitution detail how the three branches are
split.
UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
Article 1
Legislative
Branch Congress makes
the laws
Article 2
Executive
Branch President enforces
the laws
Article 3
Judicial Branch
Supreme Court
interprets the law
5. Check and Balances
,
-Montesquieu
“Power should be a check to power”
- Each branch of government can exercise checks, or controls, over the other branches.
-Allows the Branches to work together
fairly.
Executive Branch (President)
Judicial Branch (Supreme Court)
Legislative Branch (Congress)
6. Limited Government
- In the American Government
everyone, citizens and powerful leaders
alike must obey the law.
- Individual or groups cannot twist or
bypass the law to serve their own
interests.
7. Judicial Review
• Judicial Review is the
Power of the courts to
decide weather or not the
government is acting in
accord with the
Constitution.
• The Supreme Court
determines the
“Constitutionality” of
Government actions!
• Those actions seen as being
outside the provisions of the
Constitution are then
declared “Unconstitutional.”
Articles of The Constitution
Section
Subject
Preamble
States the purpose of the Constitution
Article I
Legislative Branch
Article II
Executive Branch
Article III
Judicial Branch
Article IV
Relationship between the States
Article V
Amending the Constitution
Article VI
National debts, Supremacy of National law, and oaths of
office.
Ratifying the Constitution
Article VII
Individual Rights
- Bill of Rights: 1st 10 Amendments of Constitution
1. Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and the right to petition government
.
2. Right to Keep and Bear Arms
3. Civilians will not be forced to house soldiers
4. Protection against unreasonable searches.
5. Right of a person under arrest to know why they have been arrested and to refuse to testify against
themselves in court.
6. Right to a speedy and public trial by a jury of one’s peers in criminal cases.
7. Right to a trial by jury concerning large amounts of $.
8. Protection against excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment.
9. Guarantee rights not specifically listed in the Constitution are not automatically denied.
10. People and states keep powers not granted to federal.
The Other Amendments
 16th Income Tax
 18th Prohibition
 19th Women's
Suffrage
 21st Repeal of 18th Amendment
 22nd Limits Presidential
Terms
 26th Changes Voting
Age to 18.
 27th Congressional Pay
THE NULLIFICATION CRISIS
- States’ Rights: idea
that states had the
right to limit the power
of the National
Government.
- 1832
:South Carolina
declared that they did
not have to obey a
federal law they did not
support.
THE CIVIL WAR (1861-1865)
- Division of power between the
federal and state governments
leads to controversy.
- Abraham Lincoln: prevent
slavery from spreading into new
territories.
- Southern States did not trust
Lincoln and started to secede
even before the inauguration.
-Confederate States of America
– wrote new constitution giving
states greater power than the
national government.
-Secured freedom of slaves in
the United States.
- Union’s victory insured the power
of the Federal Government and
that no state could secede in the
future.
Civil War
Amendments
13th
Abolished
slavery
FREE
14th
All citizens
guaranteed
equal rights:
Equal
protection
under the
law
CITIZENS
15th
Grants
voting
rights to
former
slaves
VOTE
Federalism ch4.
- A system of government in which power is divided between
a central government and smaller political units or STATES.
State Governments
National Government
 Coin money.
 Regulate foreign and
Interstate trade.
 Raise and maintain
Military forces.
 Declare War.
 Govern territories/
Admit new States.
 Conduct foreign
relations.
Shared Powers
Levy and collect taxes
Borrow Money
Establish courts
Define crimes and
punishments
Claim pvt. Property for
public use
Binds the
American people
Regulates Business and Trade
within the state.
Establish public Schools.
Pass license requirements
for professionals.
Regulate Alcoholic Beverages.
Conduct Elections.
Establish local Governments.
But … Why Federalism?
• 1787 : representatives of the
colonies met in Philadelphia
to try to fix the Articles of
Confederation.
• The “Articles” proved to be
to weak to deal with the
nations problems.
• So what ever they did had to
be able to strengthen the
central government and
preserve the strength of the
existing states.
Federalism??
• These men were
opposed to Centralized
government.
• The revolution had been
fought on the premise of
Self-Government.
Arguments for limited Government.
• They believed that a
strong central
government:
1. Posed a threat to
individual liberties.
any Central
Government had to be:
A. Restrained
B. Divided
Political Parties 5
• A Brief History
After the declaration of Independence
(1776)and before The revolution
(1776-1783), the colonist thought it
would be a good idea to
“confederate” so they could work
together to
1. Defeat England.
2. Enter strategic alliances with
other European powers.
But the Articles of Confederation
were inadequate for the young nation,
so a “Constitutional Convention”
was called in 1787 to see if the
Articles could be saved.
•
Political Parties
•
• The results of course
was the
U.S. Constitution
of 1789.
• BUT NOT WITHOUT A
FIGHT!
Federalist vs. Antifederalist
• The Federalist supported
a stronger role for the
National or “Federal “
government.
• The Antifederalist were
concerned that a stronger
National government
would overpower the
state’s sovereignties and
reduce the rights of
citizens.
Federalist vs. Antifederalist
 The Addition of the “Bill of
Rights” to the Constitution as a
permanent limitation of federal
power seemed to ease the
argument.
BUT!!!

The struggle between a strong
Federal Government and the
Rights of the States has played an
important role in our two party
system from the beginning.
1st Party
•
•
•
•
•
In the beginning we didn’t have two
Parties… we had George Washington!
He was a president without a party.
During his term as President (1788-1797),
A rivalry grew between Thomas Jefferson
and John Adams.
Jefferson challenged Adams for the
Presidency under the banner of the
Democratic-Republicans.
Well Adams won the Presidency ,but the
Democratic-Republicans kept the
Presidency from 1800- 1828.
The Second Party
• In 1828, Popular war
Hero, Andrew
Jackson became the
1st president of the
Democrats ( the
Peoples Party).
• The Democrats held
the Presidency until
1860.
The Next Party
from Democrat-republican to Republican
• By 1856, Northern, Anti-slavery,
businessmen gave birth to a new
Republican Party.
• Its 1st successful candidate was
Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
• Republicans would hold the
Whitehouse until 1912.
• 1864 marks the real start of the
American two-party system,
Republican/Democrats.
Political Parties SPECTRUMS
Right
wing
Left wing
The
center
Political Parties SPECTRUMS
Progressives
Totalitarianism:
Total government
Socialist
Anarchism:
No Government
Modern
Democratic
Party
U.S. Constitution
Populist
Libertarians
Modern
conservative
party
Articles of
Confederation
The Right to Vote ch.6
• Some History
•
•
•
•
The writers of the Constitution left
the suffrage ( the right to vote)
qualifications to the States.
In 1789 the right to vote was extended
only to white male property owners.
Today the electorate has expanded
and grown to over 205 million men
and women of all races, creeds,
religions who are over the age of 18
and citizens of the United states.
The size and shape of our electorate
came in 5 stages of growth.
The 5 stages
• 1. In the early 1800’s
religious qualifications
disappeared and by
1810 property
ownership was
eliminated.
• By 1850 almost all
white males could vote.
suffrage
• 2. The 15th Amendment
passed in 1870 granted
former male slaves the
right to vote.
• 3. In 1920 the 19th
Amendment gave women
their voting rights.
• 4. Then the Voting Rights
Act of 1965 enforced
voting equality for all
regardless of race or sex.
Last Stage
• 5. The last stage came in
1971.
• The 26th Amendment
set the minimum age for
voting at 18 from 21.
Voter Qualifications
• There are only 3 requirements
for someone to vote in the
United States.
• 1. Citizenship: you must have
been born in the United States
or one of its territories or an
American Military installation
in order to vote.
• 2. Residence: You must be a
legal resident in the state in
which you vote.
• 3. Age: According to the 26th
Amendment you must be at
least 18 years old when you
vote. You must also be
registered in your State.
The Nominating Process ch 7
• Objectives:
 Explain why the
Nominating Process is a
critical First step in the
election process.
 Describe three Nominating
Methods.
 Learn why use the Petition
as a nominating device.
VOTER REGISTRATION in Texas
Registration Deadline: To vote in an upcoming election, the
properly completed voter registration form must be
postmarked 30 days before the upcoming election to be
valid. In person registration must also be completed 30 days
before an election.
Party Affiliation: Texas primary elections require no
declared party affiliation, but once you vote in a party's
primary you can only attend that party's caucus thereafter
through the end of the year.
VOTER REGISTRATION QUALIFICATIONS
Age: Must be at least 18 years old (you may register at 17
years and 10 months)
Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen
Residency: Must be a resident of Texas and the county in
which you will vote
Mental Competency: You have not been declared by a court
exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally
incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without
the right to vote.
Felony Convictions: You are not a convicted felon (you may
be eligible to vote if you have completed your sentence,
probation, and parole)
•
VOTER REGISTRATION in Texas
ID Requirements: Your voter application asks for one of
following three identification numbers. If you have not
received any of these, you are still eligible to register to vote,
but you will be required to provide proof of your identity at
the polling place. Acceptable identification includes:
-A driver's license or personal identification card issued to
you by the Texas Department of Public Safety. You may also
bring a similar document issued to you by an agency of
another state, even if the license or card has expired;
-A form of identification that contains your photograph and
establishes your identity;
-A birth certificate or other document confirming birth that
is admissible in a court of law and establishes the person's
identity;
-Your United States citizenship papers;
-Your United States passport;
-Official mail addressed to you by a governmental entity;
or
-A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement,
government check, paycheck, or other government document
that shows your name and address.
The First Step
• The Nominating Process is t he
Process of Nominating a
candidate.
• The Nomination is the naming
those who seek a political office.
• The Nominating Process has a
major impact on a citizens right to
vote.
• Citizens in the U.S. can only vote
for one of two Candidates.
• Those who place nominations
place real and practical limits on
the choices that voters make.
•
5 ways Nominations are made in the
U.S.A.
1. Self- Announcement:
This is the oldest method of
nominating. The person simply announces
the fact.
It is usually used by persons who fail to win
a party nomination.
A write-in candidate is a form of selfannouncement.
There have been 4 Presidential
candidates who have used this method:
1. George Wallace 1968
2. Eugene McCarthy 1976
3. John Anderson 1980
4. Ross Perot 1992
2. The Caucus
This is a group of like-minded people who
select the candidates for whom they will vote.
The first caucus nominations were made in the
mid- 1720’s. At first they were private affairs
made up of a few important people from the
area.
Eventually, political parties took over the
process and expanded the membership.
The development of better transportation and
communications among the citizens , especially
those in the newer states, increased opposition
to the Caucus system because of its closed and
unrepresentative nature.
By 1824, the use of the Caucus system ended
at the national level.
Today the Caucus system is used to make local
nominations in some places.
3. The Convention
 As Caucuses lost importance, the Convention took their
place.
 A political convention is a meeting of a political party
typically to select party candidates.
 Generally, delegates nominate candidates for local
offices and delegates for the next rung on the convention
ladder.
I.E. City, to County, to State, to National elections.
4. The Direct Primary
 This is an intra-party election
where party members pick
candidates for general elections.
 In most states, state law requires
that the direct primary be used to
choose candidates for local, state
and national offices.
 Direct Primaries are closely
regulated by state laws.
The States: set the dates for
elections, provide polling
places, and generally police the
process.
 There are two basic forms of the
direct primary; Open and Closed
Open and Closed Primaries
• An Open primary means ANY
qualified voter can take part.
• A Closed Primary means
ONLY declared party members
can vote.
• In most states a candidate need
only have a plurality , the most
votes, to win.
• In some states there must be a
absolute majority, 51%, to win.
If there is no majority then a
runoff election is held.
5. Petition
• Nomination by
petition is used widely
in local elections.
• In this case
candidates are
nominated simply by
having enough
qualified voters sign
petitions.
The Election and Voting
• At the heart of the democratic
process is the act of voting and
the election process.
• The act of deciding who will
lead our communities, states,
and the Nation is the most
important act of citizenship.
• The Constitution gives Congress
the power to fix “time, place an
the Manner of holding
elections” of members of
Congress. (Art.1sect.4 & 17th
amend.) Congress also sets the
time and dates for Presidential
elections. (Art. II, sect.1 & 12
amend.)
When are Elections Held?
 Congress: First TUESDAY
following the first MONDAY in
NOVEMBER of every EVEN
year.
 Most states hold their state
elections with the same format
as Congress.
 Congress uses this “First
Tuesday after the first Monday”
formula for Presidential
elections, the only difference is
presidential elections are held
every four years.
Public Opinion ch8 sect. 1
FIRST!! Some Definitions
 What is Public Opinion? Few terms
in American Politics is so well used
and SO MISUNDERSTOOD!
 In general, we think of public
opinion as a view of a particular
issue that all or most Americans
agree.
 IN FACT there are few issues in
which most Americans agree!
 So to understand “Public Opinion”
you must first understand this
important point.
 Public Opinion is a complex
collection of the opinions of many
different people.
 It is the sum of all their views.
 It IS NOT the single undivided view
the masses.
The Public
 Many Publics exist in the
United States. In fact, to
many to count.
 Each “Public” is made up
of all those individuals
that share the same
opinion on a particular
issue. AND Each group of
people, who share a
different view on that issue
are their own “Public”.
Soooooooooooo
• Public Opinion is best
described as = Those
expressed attitudes
held by a significant
number of people on
matters of government
or politics.
• Expressed = Spoken,
Written or Acted upon
otherwise they are
considered private.
Where do we get our Opinions?
• No one is born with a set of
attitudes.
• Each of us LEARN our opinions
in a life long search for very
complex answers for questions
about life.
 Our families
 Our schools
 Our Community
 Our Religious training
 Masse Media
 Peer Groups
 Opinion Leaders
 Historical Events
The Branches of Government chs.
• Legislative
• Executive
• Judicial
10,13, 18
Legislative Branch
• We already know a lot about
the CONGRESS.
• It is Bicameral meaning it
has two houses.
• An upper house called the
Senate.
• A Lower house called the
House of Representatives.
• Their job is to make laws
and to fund the
government .
Legislative Branch II
• Remember ??????
• there are 435 members of
congress.
• that the “House”
members serve their States
according to population.
• And, in the Senate, Two
Senators serve each State,
100 in all, for six years.
How a Bill becomes Law!
Executive Branch
• The leader of the Executive
branch is the President of the
United States.
• The President makes use of a
CABINATE which are federal
department heads that the
President confides in, in order
to help him make good
decisions.
• The President has 8 duties in
which he must discharge all the
time.
Eight Jobs of the President!
1.
2.
3.
4.
Chief of State: Is the ceremonial
head of the Government. He/She
represents the people of the
United States.
Chief Executive: He/She is vested
by the Constitution to carry out
the laws of the land.
Chief Administrator: it is his/her
job to make sure that the
government runs smoothly.
Chief Diplomat: He/she is the
main spokesman for American
Foreign Policy. What he says IS
our policy to the rest of the world.
Duties of the
President
•
•
•
•
5. Commander-in-Chief of the
Armed Forces of the United States:
Our military is lead by A civilian
and that’s the President.
He/She is helped in this job by the
Joint Chief of Staff but the
President has the final say in when
and how our military is to be used.
6. Chief Legislature: He/She is the
main architect of American
domestic and foreign policy.
7. Chief Director of his political
party: He/She is in control, because
his party fills the executive branch
and it is their agenda that will serve
the people of the U.S.
8. Chief Citizen: The President is
expected to represent ALL the
citizens of the United States.
Judicial Branch
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The American court system has two
important functions:
First is to ensure that the laws
made by congress and acted on by
the President are legal that is they
are within the bounds of the
constitution. This is the “Checks
and Balance” ability of the
Judiciary.
Secondly, it is the work of the
Court system to make judgments
on the acts of American citizens.
It is important to remember that
the U.S. has a dual court system.
Each of the 50 states has its own
courts and there are over 120
federal courts that serve the people
of the United States.
Judicial Branch II
• Each State has its own
way of appointing judges,
Texas elects judges at all
levels.
• At the Federal level,
Judges are appointed by
the President and subject
to confirmation by the
Senate.
• Supreme Court and
Inferior Court Judges
serve for life. Removed
only by impeachment.